Written questions
4 written questions on record from the Seventh Senedd on, newest first. Page 1 of 1.
WQ100925 · Tabled · Answered
What plans does the Welsh Government have to continue funding the £1 bus fare scheme for children and young people aged up to 21 after March 2027?
Answered by Deputy Minister for Transport
I am pleased to report that to date over 10 million journeys have been made by young people travelling on the Welsh Government’s youth fare scheme. We remain committed to making bus travel more affordable for children and young people. Our Programme for Government includes a commitment to continue with £1 single bus fares and £3 day tickets for those aged 5–21. We are currently evaluating the success of the scheme and will make decisions as part of the budget process and the findings of the evaluation.
WQ99184 · Tabled · Answered
What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve the availability and affordability of childcare provision during the summer holidays, in light of concerns raised by working families, including public service workers who remain unable to secure childcare during school holidays despite both parents working?
Answered by Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
Our childcare programme for 3-4 year olds, which targets working parents, provides 30 hours of funded childcare for 9 weeks of the school holiday. Parents can choose when to use these weeks and can save them to cover the longer summer holidays if they wish to do so. As we move forward with our transformational childcare programme, the provision of funded childcare during the school holidays will be extended to all children receiving funded childcare.
We provide flexible funding to local authorities through the Children and Communities Grant to help address gaps in childcare and play provision identified locally, including during holiday times. When assessing these gaps local authorities must consider the needs of families in employment or training. We also provide £1m funding annually to the Playworks Holiday Project to increase inclusive and accessible play opportunities during weekends and school holidays.
We also support the childcare and playwork sector through annual funding to Play Wales and the Cwlwm consortium, which includes Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs. Both organisations support holiday clubs, out-of-school activities and community groups promoting equitable access to play for all children. Additionally, we have developed bespoke National Minimum Standards for regulated open access play services to support more providers to register, helping to increase the availability of childcare and play provision for children aged 5 to 12 during the school holidays.
WQ99186 · Tabled · Answered
What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure the effective implementation of the ask and act duty under the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act, including guidance, resourcing and accountability across public services?
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning
The Welsh Government is supporting the implementation of the Ask and Act duty through early and ongoing engagement with relevant public bodies to set clear expectations, identify delivery challenges and co-develop practical referral approaches. This will be complemented by statutory guidance, issued under section 20 of the Act, alongside training to support consistent identification and referral of those at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.
We are also exploring how best to understand Ask and Act activity in practice, including potential approaches to data collection, ensuring any arrangements are proportionate and align with wider monitoring and reporting requirements under the Act.
WQ99185 · Tabled · Answered
How is the Welsh Government responding to the draft Code of Practice by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in light of concerns raised by worried family members of transgender and non-binary people about safety, dignity and access to services, and what steps is it taking to ensure implementation protects healthcare access and inclusion?
Answered by Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
Welsh Ministers respect the Supreme Court judgment and expect service providers, including NHS providers, to implement it fully whilst ensuring dignity for all and upholding the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
Official verbatim record: each question and answer as the Record prints it. Answers are signed with a job title, as published.